Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) can be quite lucrative but it is also a highly structured process. When placing an FBA order it is your responsibility to clearly communicate how you want the shipment to be prepared. Any changes orders will most certainly cause delays. 

What you must know BEFORE placing an order

It is important you're aware of the nature of the product you are shipping to Amazon's fulfillment center. Certain products are restricted from FBA and if you have to cancel an order because of restrictions a restocking fee will apply.

Shelf Life

The most common restriction would be expiration dates. Amazon's policy sates:

"At the time of check-in at the fulfillment center, all products must have a remaining shelf life that allows sufficient time for the product to be consumed in full plus an additional 90 days. For example, a bottle of supplements with 240 daily servings must have a remaining shelf life of 240 days plus an additional 90 days at the time of check-in at the fulfillment center."

Certain products such as chips have an inherently short shelf life that could leave you little to no time to sell after it is checked in.

Meltables

Frozen and Refrigerated products are strictly prohibited from FBA and, if canceled, are subject to a restocking fee. It is your responsibility to know whether the product you are ordering is a meltable.

Other meltables such as chocolates are restricted during certain time of the year.  See Amazon's policy on meltables for more information.

More information can be found on Amazon's site at FBA Product Restrictions

Category Restrictions

Your Amazon account may be restricted from selling in certain categories. To avoid a restocking fee it is important that you test to make sure you can sell from a specific category.

Brand Restrictions

You may be restricted from selling certain brands. Check to make sure you can sell the brand BEFORE placing an FBA order.

TIP: Its a good practice to make a draft of your FBA plan to test whether you can sell the products you intend to order with us. You should test for quantity limits, product restrictions, and expiration dates. While drafting your plan you will see guidance as to how products must be packed and this will help communicate your FBA prep order.

After you place your order

After you place your order it is important to stay in regular communication with our customer service team. Our agents communicate your instructions to our warehouse supervisors and communicate back to you if any issues exist with the order.

Instructions

After you place your order, you are expected to email [email protected] with your FBA prep instructions. The instructions must be clear and once the order is being prepared, no exceptions can be made in changing the instructions you originally provided. Cancellations are subject to a restocking fee and your membership is non-refundable pursuant to our terms and conditions.

If we do not receive timely instructions from you, one of our agents will contact you for instructions. Note: you must provide us with instructions within 5 calendar days of placing the order to avoid cancellation and restocking fees.

Instructions should include the number of multi-packs each SKU must be split up into or bundled with along with prep requirements. For example:

KHFM1234567 pack of 6, bubble-wrapped. This signifies that the product must be grouped in a 6-pack of each and bubble wrapped.

or Bundle of 1x KHFM1234567 and 1 x KHFM7654321.  Bubble wrapped. This signifies that two unique SKUs are bundled as one unit and bubble wrapped.*

* Bundles require "Sold as Set, Do not Separate" labels.

FNSKU Labels

Once the order is prepared, we will provide you with expiration dates and shipping origin for each SKU. Moreover,  we will request that you provide us with FNSKU labels. The number of FNSKU labels. The quantity of FNSKU labels must be formatted in an American style format with 30 labels per sheet.  In the event we receive misformatted labels, our customer service agents will place your order on hold. Note: you will have 5 calendar days from the date the order is placed on hold to provide the correct formatted labels  before the order is cancelled.

Box Labels

After FNSKU Labels and all other applicable labels are applied, our agents will notify you of the size and weight of each box in lbs and content of each box for example:

Our agents will request box labels in 4" x 6" format. Note: providing any other format may result in significant delays. The file you must send must conform to this format and be sent in readable PDF format. If the format is unreadable, the labels don't conform to the format or the number of labels do not match the number of boxes, our agents will place the order on hold. Note: you will have 5 calendar days from the date the order is placed on hold to provide the correct formatted labels  before the order is cancelled.

* Boxes weighing 50 or more pounds require a "Team Lift" label.

Pallet Labels (where applicable)

If your order is eligible for LTL Shipping, our agents will also communicate the number of pallets along with other relevant information and request pallet labels. For example, the communication will be:

Pallet #1 - Height 56"

Pallet #2 - Height: 60"

Total Weight (lbs):  2000

Freight Class: 55. The freight class is determined by package density and calculated with a freight class calculator.  The freight class "is what it is" We cannot change the freight class any more than we can change the fact that 2+2 = 4. If you input an incorrect freight class into your Amazon plan, you are doing so at your own risk.

LTL shipments v. UPS

Depending on the size of the order, you should be able to estimate if this is going as an LTL. As a general rule, if the sum of the product weighs > 150 lbs, it will ship LTL as long as its shipped as one shipment. This is subject to change if Amazon splits the shipment into multiple facilities. If your intention is to save on unit cost by shipping LTL you should plan accordingly.

Post-Prep Instructions

After your order is FBA prepped we will request UPS labels from you. We recommend using Amazon's partnered carriers to streamline efficiency. If your shipment is eligible for LTL, we will request a bill of lading (BOL). It is important that you provide us with a BOL right away.

UPS Shipments

Once we have the UPS labels, we will apply them to the package and submit them for pick-up. Nothing further needs to be done on your part.

LTL Shipments

As mentioned, it is important we get the BOL right away. We cannot release any shipments without a BOL and no carrier will be willing to pick them up. Amazon should alert you when the BOL is ready. Once a BOL is ready, the shipments can be picked up as early as the same day or, depending on the backlog, it could take multiple days or even weeks. It is good practice to follow up with the carrier to get an estimated pick-up date.

We will use our best efforts to coordinate a pick-up. However it is ultimately your responsibility to make sure the carrier picks up your shipment. LTL shipments not picked up within 30 days with no arrangements for pick-up are deemed abandoned and no refunds are provided.

Invoicing

Soon after the shipment is prepared, we will invoice you and charge the credit card on file*. The fee schedule is as follows:

*In the event the charge is declined, your account will be limited from placing additional orders.  You must make payment arrangements to maintain your account in good standing.